Absorbent article with sensor

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an absorbent article for personal hygiene. More particularly, in one embodiment, the absorbent article absorbent article includes at least one property changing indicator. A detector device is also provided that includes at least one sensor. The sensor is adapted to detect the property change of the property change indicator in the absorbent article. In one particular embodiment, for example, the property changing indicator may include an optical property indicator such as a color change indicator and the sensor may include an optical sensor such as a color sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring an absorbent article designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates, the system comprising:
 an absorbent article; and 
 a detector device comprising a housing, a light source, and an optical sensor; 
 wherein the absorbent article and the detector device are adapted to be associated together and disassociated from each other; 
 wherein in a first operation, the optical sensor takes a first reading without the light source illuminated to determine a background light level; and 
 wherein in a second operation, the optical sensor takes a second reading with the light source illuminated; and 
 wherein a difference between the first reading and the second reading represents a baseline optical property of the absorbent article to enable detection of a change of optical property of the absorbent article in response to presence of bodily exudates. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detector device is associated with the absorbent article via a mechanical fastener wherein a first component of the mechanical fastener is attached to a backsheet of the absorbent article and a second component of the mechanical fastener is attached to the detector device. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a battery. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication module to transmit data from the detector device to a remote device. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein transmission of data from the detector device to a remote device is periodic and not continuous. 
     
     
       6. A system for monitoring an absorbent article designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates, the system comprising:
 an absorbent article; and 
 a detector device comprising a housing, a light source, and an optical sensor; 
 wherein the absorbent article and the detector device are adapted to be associated together and disassociated from each other; 
 wherein the light source is adapted to transmit light to a portion of the absorbent article; and 
 wherein fill levels of the absorbent article with body exudates can be determined by the optical sensor measuring hue, saturation, and brightness of the portion of the absorbent article to which light is being transmitted. 
 
     
     
       7. A system for monitoring an absorbent article designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates, the system comprising:
 an absorbent article comprising a color-changing indicator adapted to change color in response to the presence or absence of bodily exudates, wherein the absorbent article and the color-changing indicator form one integral unit; and 
 a detector device comprising a housing, a light source, and an optical sensor; 
 wherein the light source is adapted to transmit light onto the color-changing indicator; 
 wherein the color-changing indicator comprises a width of from 4 to 15 millimeters; 
 wherein the absorbent article and the detector device are adapted to be associated together and disassociated from each other; and 
 wherein when the absorbent article and the detector device are associated together the detector device is adapted to detect the change of optical property of the color-changing indicator. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the color-changing indicator comprises a length of 100 to 300 millimeters. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the detector device is associated with the absorbent article via a mechanical fastener wherein a first component of the mechanical fastener is attached to a backsheet of the absorbent article and a second component of the mechanical fastener is attached to the detector device. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a battery. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the light source comprises at least one of the group comprising: an LED and an OLED. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the color-changing indicator comprises a pH-sensitive composition. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a communication module to transmit data from the detector device to a remote device. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein transmission of data from the detector device to a remote device is periodic and not continuous.